FullMetal Alchemist meets Rise of the Guardians
by Spottedpool14
Summary: The Elric brothers are in danger and the Guardians are sent to help with a friend (OC).
1. Chapter 1

**Spottedpool14: I own nothing in this story except for the character Spottedpool, whom i created. i like the name... a lot**

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Jack hurried to the North Pole, following the northern lights. He knew something must be up if North was calling a meeting. _I wonder what this is all about._ The last time he had been summoned was to declare him a Guardian. Of course, at the time, summoning required a sack, some yetis, and a magic portal. That was a long story.

As he landed in the room, he smiled at everybody gathered there. Tooth was anxiously spouting out the names of various cities to her small group of tooth fairies, Bunnymund was warming his feet by the fireplace, Sandy was drifting slowly to sleep, and North was just standing there, waiting for Jack's arrival. But someone was missing.

"Jack! It is good to see you here at last," North called out.

"Hey, North," Jack replied. "Where's Spots?"

"Manny said she won't make it to this meeting. He was the one that called it."

"Oh." Jack looked around once more, wondering where she could be. As Guardian of Imagination, she usually was the first to arrive at the meetings.

"Speaking of which, here's Manny now."

All of the Guardians fell silent as the moon appeared in the skylight. "Hello, Guardians," said a kind voice. "It is good to see you all."

"Manny," said North, "what is the trouble? We have had no signs of Pitch for months now and yet you call upon us."

"The trouble is not here, but in another world, which only Spots and I know of."

The Guardians exchanged confused looks. A world that only two people knew about? How was that possible?

Manny laughed. "You seem surprised. You should all know that nothing is impossible with Spots. But that is not the point. I promised her that I would not reveal the world to you as long as she could keep it from danger. However, Pitch has found it and is now planning to attack Spots where he knows she will hurt the most. You see, there are two boys she cares very deeply about. Their names are Edward and Alphonse Elric."

"Brothers?" asked Jack.

"Yes. The older one, Edward, is a state alchemist for the country he serves. He is only fifteen and the youngest person to receive the honor, which he got at twelve. Alphonse is one year younger than his brother, but he is wiser than his years would tell."

"Why does Spots care so deeply for them?" Tooth inquired.

"Because she knows their pain," Manny replied. They all fell silent. "When they were little, their mother did from a sickness. Their father left before they really got to know him. They were left in the care of one of their neighbors, who had been a friend of their father's. To those boys, though, it wasn't enough. They wanted their mother back. So they made a plan to use human transmutation, a forbidden science, to bring her back to life."

"Did it work?" Jack wondered how it would be to raise a person from the dead.

"No, unfortunately. The thing that they created wasn't even human. In the process, Edward lost his left leg while Alphonse's body was taken. To get his brother back, Edward sacrificed his right arm and attached Al's soul to a suit of armor. They have since grown up faster than anyone should and Spots was trying to get them to be kids again. However, Pitch plans to use them to get to her. I don't know his plan entirely, but I do know that those boys are in danger and Spots is unaware of it. That is why I am sending you to help."

The Guardians looked at each other with excitement. It wasn't every day they got to explore a new world.

"When do we leave?" asked Bunny.

"Right now. I am passing you along to an acquaintance of mine, who will send you to Amestris."

There was a blinding light and Jack felt his feet leave the ground. When he opened his eyes, he found himself standing in front of a huge door.

"Where am I?"

"That is a question I cannot answer."

Jack turned around to see a pure white figure before him. "Who are you?" he asked.

"Who am I? One name you might have for me is The World, or you might call me The Universe, or perhaps God, or perhaps the Truth. I am all and I am one, so of course this also means that I am you."

Jack looked at him with absolute confusion. Truth completely ignored that and looked at the door. "You wish to pass to Amestris, correct?"

Jack nodded.

"Because you are friends with Spottedpool and with Man in Moon, I am obliged to allow you free passage. However, should you travel through here without either one of their blessings, I will require a toll from you."

"A toll? What do you mean?"

The door opened and hundreds of black arms grabbed Jack, dragging him in. As the door shut, he heard Truth say, "Goodbye, Jack Frost, and good luck. You're going to need it in the days ahead."

Jack opened his eyes. He immediately recognized the familiar feeling of snow underneath him. Sitting up, he was amazed to see he was surrounded by mountains, snow covering almost every inch. He never noticed the darkening shadows approaching.


	2. Chapter 2

Spottedpool Evans was sipping tea in the office of Colonel Roy Mustang, waiting for his arrival. He had called her a few days before with reports of strange happenings around the area. Evidently, everyone was talking about having vivid nightmares and shadows attacking the children. She knew exactly what that meant. Somehow, someway, Pitch had found the entrance to Amestris.

The door opened, pulling her from her train of thought. Roy stood in the doorway with a small smile on his face. "Thanks for coming, Spots." He walked over to his desk and sat.

"No problem. I think I already know the cause, actually."

His green eyes widened in surprise. "Okay," he said, shaking his head. "Give."

Brushing her black hair with white spots out of her face, she replied, "I think it's a person by the name of-."

"Sir!"

Both people turned to look at Lieutenant Riza Hawkeye, who was saluting in the doorway.

"What is it, Lieutenant?" Roy asked.

"A chimera has been captured and brought into HQ for testing."

"What kind of chimera," Spots asked, taking a sip of tea.

"Part hummingbird and, I still can't quite believe this myself, part human."

Tea spewed from Spots' mouth, leaving her coughing for a moment. When she recovered, she asked, "Did she say anything?"

Both people stared at her. "How did you know it was a girl, Spots?" Riza inquired.

"Did she say anything?" Spots asked more firmly.

"Yes," she replied cautiously. "She said something about needing to help the children remember and asked how we could see her. Actually, I think she mentioned your name, Spots."

"Shit. First him and now this."

"What's wrong?" Roy asked.

Spots ignored the question and looked straight at Riza. "Take me to her."

Riza looked questioningly at Roy.

"That wasn't a request, Lieutenant!" Her blue eyes were like chips of ice.

Riza nodded and started to leave. Spots got up and followed her. Roy walked next to her, careful to say out of arms reach. Everyone knew that when Spottedpool started using military titles, she was in a dangerous mood.

When they arrived, chaos seemed to reign. Breda was hiding under some desks while Fuery and Falman were racing around the room, trying to catch a green blur. Havoc crashed through the door holding a bed sheet. "Quick," he called to the others, "Grab a corner!"

The men immediately stopped their vain chase and grabbed an edge of the sheet. Before they could throw it over the blur, Spots bellowed, "ENOUGH!"

Everyone froze and looked at Spots. She ignored everyone in the room, except for the iridescent green hummingbird/ human chimera. "What are you doing here, Tooth?"

Toothiana fluttered in the air, smiling nervously down at Spots. "Hi."

Letting out an exasperated sigh, Spots sat down. "Please answer my question."

"Manny sent us," Tooth replied, her purple eyes never leaving Spots.

"'Us'?" asked Roy, "Who's 'us'?"

Spots rubbed her forehead as she answered, "'Us' would be the other Guardians, if I'm not mistaken. Am I right, Tooth?"

"Yes. Manny said you were going to need help, so he sent us to lend you a hand."

Roy held up his hands in the 'time-out' gesture. "Hold up. You know Spots, Spots knows you. She needs your help, but she didn't know about it. Nobody in Amestris has ever seen you before and there are more of you? What did I miss?"

"When she says there are more, she's not saying more hummingbird chimeras," Spots clarified. "Tooth is referring to the other Guardians: North, Bunnymund, Sandy, and Jack Frost. Where are they, anyway?"

"I'm not sure," Tooth responded. "We must've been separated when we traveled through the door."

"Door?" questioned Riza. "What door?"

Spots looked at Tooth with absolute horror. "No," she whispered. "Not that door." Standing up, she immediately began inspecting her Guardian friend. "What was the toll he required? What did he take?"

"He didn't require a toll, because we had Manny's blessing to pass through."

"Really? Truth let you through?" Spots sounded incredulous. Then she grew curious. "Why did Manny send you?"

"Pitch is here."

The statement caused everyone to look at Spots for explanation. "I knew it," she whispered. "What else did Manny tell you?"

"The Elric brothers are in danger. Pitch plans on using them in his plan."

Nobody moved. Spots seemed to lose focus on the room, turning away from Tooth. Tears fell from her eyes without her notice. For a moment, everyone wondered if she was okay. Then she looked Roy straight in the eye.

"Call every other military base, now. Tell them to report anyone they apprehend and give a detailed description. No harm is to come to any of them. If I find even a scratch on my friends, the one that dealt the injury will have to face me. And try to find out where Ed and Al are," she ordered.

Looking around the room, she gave a calmer speech. "Pitch Black is here in Amestris. He is the cause of all of the nightmares and shadow attacks. If you see him or even suspect he's near you, do not approach him. He is ten times more dangerous than anyone with a gun. Just report the sighting to me and I will do everything in my power to stop him."

Tooth placed a gentle hand on Spots' shoulder. "Are you sure you're okay? After I said those boys were in danger, you lost control for a minute."

"That wasn't losing control, Tooth," Spots replied in a soft tone. "If Pitch has harmed either of those boys, though, I will show everyone what it means for me to lose control."

From the fire in her eyes, Tooth had no doubt about that.


	3. Chapter 3

Out in the woods, in an old abandoned factory, something dark was residing. In one of the large rooms, on the wall farthest from the door, a solitary figure in a red coat hung, chained by his wrists. His head was bowed, showing only his braided golden hair, the antenna in the front drooping in front of his face. Blood slowly dripped from his left wrist, where the manacle cut into his skin. The right arm was exempt from this pain, for it was made of metal.

Edward Elric didn't flinch at the sound of the heavy doors smashing open, revealing a tall dark figure dragging another person along with him. Pitch Black said nothing as he chained up the unconscious body of Jack Frost to the left of Ed. He left as quickly as he entered, slamming the doors shut behind him.

Finally, Ed looked up. "Hey," he whispered. Giving Jack a kick with his automail leg, he said a little louder, "Hey, wake up!"

Slowly, Jack opened his eyes. Looking at Ed, he queried, "Who are you?"

"My name's Edward Elric. I'm also known as the Fullmetal Alchemist. What do they call you?"

"Jack Frost…" His voice trailed off for a second. "You can see me?"

"You have a tendency of not being seen?" Ed retorted.

"Yes, actually. Usually, only children can see me. And while you're small enough to be a child-."

Instantly, Ed began struggling against the chains, hollering at the top of his lungs, "WHO ARE YOU CALLING SMALL?! I'M STILL GROWING YOU FROST COVERED ASSHOLE!"

Jack couldn't help but laugh. Here they were, chained up by the Nightmare King, unsure of his plans, and this kid was throwing a fit over being called short.

The doors opened up again and the laughter died on Jack's lips. Pitch stood in the doorway, a wicked smile that was mirrored in his eyes. He strode over to his two prisoners and stopped a few feet from them. Looking directly at Jack, he said, "It's good to see that you are awake. I thought perhaps I had killed you when the Nightmares brought you down."

Jack glared at Pitch, seething that he had been caught so easily. However, he refused to rise to the taunts of the Nightmare King.

Pitch wasn't bothered by Jack's lack of reaction. He simply turned to Ed, his evil smile widening. "And you, little friend, are going to be the bait, along with your brother."

"What have you done to Al?" Ed asked furiously.

"I haven't done anything, yet. But just so you don't get any ideas of escaping, I'm keeping him near me. Should you try to escape, he will be the one to suffer." Pitch turned away and started to leave.

Ed got a cocky smile and shot back, "You can't hurt him. He has no body, as I'm sure you've noticed."

Pitch stopped and turned his head. "Maybe I can't physically hurt him, but my powers reside more on the emotional side. I create nightmares and, body or not, I can make him very afraid."

Horror filled Ed's golden eyes. He started struggling against the chains, screaming, "Leave him alone, you bastard! I'll tear you apart if you hurt him!"

As Pitch left the room, his laughter echoed throughout the building, mingling with Ed's screaming for his little brother.


	4. Chapter 4

Spottedpool was nervously pacing the station. Everyone carefully avoided her, terrified that she might blow up at them for saying something wrong. Only Roy, Riza, and Tooth approached her, if only to attempt to calm her down.

"Spots," said Roy gently, "You need to stop worrying. From what you've told us, these people can handle fighting Pitch, seeing as they've done it before."

"Yes, but they hadn't been scattered around an unknown world then," she shot back. "They have no clue where any allies are, or where to possibly start looking for me. Plus, Bunnymund will also be classified as a chimera, being a large talking rabbit. How can you possibly expect me to remain calm about this?"

Riza answered, "Because you are Spottedpool Evans. You are the bravest, and occasionally, most reckless person the soldiers around this country know. When they see you freaking out, they don't know what to do. Please calm down before you scare everyone on post."

Spots stopped pacing and looked at Riza. For a moment, it seemed she was going to scream at her for her speech. Then she nodded and her eyes took on a calmer demeanor. "You're right. Thank you for that. It's just-." She paused, searching for the words to describe her feelings. "You're scared," finished Roy.

"Yes," she admitted. "I'm scared that my friends are going to get hurt because they don't know this area, or who to ask for help."

Tooth spoke up, "How does Pitch know his way around, then? From everyone's descriptions, it seems he's confident in every attack he launches."

"That is a very good question, Tooth. I'm gonna take a shot and say he found Amestris a while ago, and that he's been scouting out the area to plan his attacks. Now that he knows the layout of the land, he's put his plan in motion."

"How did he find Amestris?" asked Roy.

"I don't know…"

The three looked uncomfortably at each other. Spots usually had some sort of clue, at the very least, of what was going on.

Before anyone delved further into their conversation, Fuery stood up and called, "I've got a report here. A little golden man was just apprehended in Central. He hasn't said anything, but he keeps making shapes above his head in sand."

Spots smiled. "Sandy." Turning to Fuery, she ordered, "Send a message back and tell them I am on my way to pick him up." Her smile grew wider as she thought, _we have three Guardians already. Are you ready for us, Pitch?_

"Come on, Tooth. We have a friend to pick up."

"Oh no. There is no way you are dragging me into another area after you've told me how they experiment on chimeras," Tooth replied. "And you know I hate your method of travel."

"A little shadow travel never hurt anybody," Spots declared. Tooth gave her a disbelieving look. "Okay, so it's a little dangerous," she admitted. "And maybe every once in a while I take an accidental trip to China, but for the most part I'm right on target."

"I refuse to travel through Pitch's territory. How can you be sure the shadows are even safe to shadow travel through?"

"Simple. Pitch may have studied this area for a while, but he's still an amateur. I know of several places where I can use the shadows to my advantage without him knowing. One of them is Roy's office."

"What?"

Spots gestured they all follow her. Stepping into Roy's office, she marched to the center of the floor. "Please turn down the lights, Roy."

He nodded and obliged. Tooth fluttered nervously in the doorway, glancing around as if the darkness were about to close in on her. Everyone else stared intently at Spottedpool. All around her, the shadows darkened until the only thing that revealed her location was the inky black figure where she had stood. Then, the shadows vanished, leaving only the darkened room filled with awestruck soldiers.


	5. Chapter 5

Sanderson Mansnoozie, aka Sandy, sat patiently at the desk of a calm man with green eyes and black hair. The man pushed up his glasses as he once more tried to get Sandy to answer his questions.

"What's your name?"

Sandy sent up golden sand, which formed small pictures over his head.

An exasperated sigh came from the interrogator. Sandy gestured to the pen and paper in the man's hands.

"Would you like to write out everything?"

Sandy nodded enthusiastically. Happily, the interrogator handed over the supplies. The Guardian started jotting down all his information.

After answering all of the questions, Sandy returned the paper. The interrogator read over the basics. "So, Sanderson, have you been to Amestris before?"

Sandy shook his head.

"Can you talk?"

Again, he shook his head. Scratching his head, the interrogator chuckled. "Just my luck. I have to question someone that can't talk."

An angry scream came from the other room. Both Sandy and the interrogator leapt from their seats to investigate.

Spottedpool stood in the middle of the room, disheveled, angry, and facing two Nightmares. They snorted and reared, attempting to look menacing. Spots', however, was in no mood for attempts. Drawing a sword from the scabbard strapped across her back, she lunged and slashed, disintegrating one of the instantly. She then took out a matching dagger and whipped it at the other, finishing it off.

"That bastard. Sending a small group of Nightmares to attack me while I'm shadow travelling? How rude." She brushed the Nightmare sand from her clothes and looked up, seeing the two onlookers for the first time. "Sandy! Hughes! How are you?"

Lieutenant Colonel Maes Hughes smiled at Spots. "That was an interesting display. I've never seen you fight horses before."

Walking over to them, she replied, "Yeah, well those weren't normal horses and they attacked me first." She looked at Sandy. "If it had been any other person working here interrogating you, I would ask if you were treated well. However, the only thing Hughes could possibly do to one of my friends to worry me is that he showed you endless pictures of his wife and daughter."

"No, I didn't get around to that. Not to mention, I wasn't sure if he was a threat to them or not."

"Only if they're a threat to the children of the world. Do not get on Sandy's bad side," she warned. Sandy smiled and sent up symbols of sand, depicting a tall figure with an evil grin followed by a question mark.

"Yes, Sandy. Pitch is here."

More sand symbols, showing each of the Guardians.

"No, I haven't found everyone. So far, it's just you, Tooth, and me."

Hughes shook his head in amazement. "You understand those symbols?" he asked.

"Yes," she replied with a grin. "It's just like charades. You learn to interpret them after a while with Sandy."

"Care to explain something to me?"

"Shoot."

"What's going on?"

Spottedpool's eyes lowered. "That is rather difficult. It requires a great deal more of explaining than what I think any of you are ready for." She looked him straight in the eyes. "Many secrets will come to light soon, most of them mine. I promise to tell you everything, but I want to make sure that my friends are safe first. Until then, I need you to trust me, okay?"

For a moment, Hughes said nothing. Then he took out his wallet and looked at a picture in it. Spots knew it was his picture of Elicia and Gracia. "Is there a threat to my family around?" he questioned.

"Yes."

"Will you protect them like you always did?"

"I will defend them even more fiercely than usual." She looked at Sandy, the intense fire reflecting in both of their eyes. "I have friends who will help me to keep them safe."

Hughes looked up from the picture. "I have trusted you with my life through a war, and you were the one that delivered Elicia. There is no secret you have that could possibly make me distrust you."

"Thank you, Hughes," she said, unable to keep the relief out of her voice. She exchanged an uneasy glance with Sandy, who placed a comforting hand on her arm. Then she gave herself a small shake. "Now, Sandy and I must meet up with Tooth. She's waiting for us back at east HQ and she was incredibly concerned about my shadow travelling." They headed outside.

"Hey, before you go, Spots, I have a question," Hughes stated, following them out.

"Yes?" she prompted.

"You said that you had a small group of those horses-."

"Nightmares," corrected Spots.

"Nightmares. You said there was a small group of Nightmares that attacked you."

"I'm not hearing a question, Hughes," she told him with a chuckle.

"How many were there?" he inquired.

"Only about twenty," Spots replied.

Sandy gave a silent laugh at the expression on Hughes' face. He then created a small, two-seated plane with his dream sand and got into the pilot seat. Spots smiled and got into the passenger seat. "I'll see you later, Hughes. Tell Elicia and Gracia I said hi."

He called to her as the plane took off, "I will. Stay out of trouble!"

She waved to let him know she heard him. He watched the plane until it was just a small golden speck in the sky. "Take care, Spots," he whispered. "I get the feeling you're about to go through hell again to protect this country." Then Hughes turned back to the building and went inside.


	6. Chapter 6

The two boys stared dejectedly at the floor. They had both been trying to form some sort of escape plan, but each plan was eliminated when they tried to find a way to get Al out with them. Ed's golden eyes were filled with frustration. "There has to be a way out of here!"

Jack watched as Ed once more struggled against his chains. As the chains rattled, Jack snapped, "Stop that! It's useless! All you'll end up doing is alerting Pitch that we're trying to get out! Then what will happen to your brother?"

Ed stopped. Hot tears of anger dripped down his face as he asked, "Well, what else can we do? I can't leave my little brother to deal with that monster. He's all I have left. I've never felt so helpless."

Jack's heart went out to Ed. His voice was little more than a whisper as he said, "I know how you feel."

Ed looked at him as he continued, "I wasn't always a Guardian. Before I became Jack Frost, I had a little sister. Her name was Emma. We would always play together, things like hopscotch and tag. In the winter, we would have snowball fights with Spots, build snowmen, and go ice-skating. One year, we went out onto the ice, just trying to have fun. Neither of us had really noticed the warming temperature, or thought the ice might be thin."

Jack paused for a moment, remembering every detail of the memory that he once had no recollection of. "Emma went too far out, where the ice was thinning. I watched ice crack beneath her skates, desperately trying to think of a way to save her." A smile crossed his lips. "I told her we were going to play hopscotch and have fun. I carefully made my way back to solid ice, and then used a staff that was on the ice to catch her by the waist and pull her to safety." The smile vanished. "It sent me back onto the thin ice and it broke. I died saving my little sister."

Ed stared at Jack, at a loss for words. When he found his voice, he asked, "Was it worth it? Was drowning that day worth saving her?"

Jack's blue eyes were bright with unshed tears. "Every moment was worth it. I would do it again in a heartbeat."

"It's a big brother thing, isn't it?" Ed queried with a smile.

A small laugh escaped from Jack's lips. "Yeah, it is. Spots always told me that the one thing she wished had been different was that she had an older brother that cared for her like I cared for Emma." He looked at the door, then at the chains. "You know, I could-."

Whatever Jack was about to say was cut off as the door swung open. Pitch strode into the room, accompanied by two Nightmares, who had escaped the fury of Spots. Carried between the Nightmares was the suit of armor that held Alphonse Elric's soul.

"Al!" cried Ed.

"Ed?" The helmet of the armor looked up to the small Alchemist, two eyes glowing in the sockets.

"DON'T CALL ME SMALL!"

Jack looked at Ed in confusion. "Nobody called you small, Ed."

"Huh. I could've sworn I heard someone say I was small. I must've imagined it."

Pitch gave what could almost have been a concerned look to Ed, who glared back at him. Then he raised his right hand and snapped his fingers. Instantly, the chains lengthened and the boys fell to the ground, still held by the manacles.

Jack scowled at Pitch. "What the hell was that for?"

"That was so you don't die before Spots tries to rescue you. If you over exert yourselves struggling constantly against the chains-." Ed and Jack shared an uneasy look. "- then you are bound to accidentally kill yourselves," Pitch explained with a twisted grin. He then gestured to Alphonse. "As for bringing your brother along, Edward, I wanted to assure you he was safe. He will remain safe as long as you two don't attempt to escape. I've been lenient so far. However, should your feeble attempts continue…" He let the threat hang in the air, allowing them to imagine all of the horrors he could unleash on Al.

Ed asked, "You okay, Al?"

"I'm fine. I just want to know why we're here."

"That," Pitch said, "is for me to know." He turned around and began to leave, both Nightmares dragging Alphonse away with them. "Oh, and Jack?"

"What?" he spat.

Pitch turned so Jack could see the side of his face, where an evil smile had spread. "Those chains are ice proof. If you try freezing them, they will burn Edward. And if the young alchemist tries to transmute them, yours will become Nightmare sand and force you to live in your worst fears." The boys shared a horrified look as Pitch left the room, his laughter the only sound in the empty warehouse.

Ed looked desperately at Jack. "We have to get out of here."

"Don't worry, we will. But first, our friends need to know where we are." Ed listened intently as Jack told him the plan


	7. Chapter 7

Spottedpool laughed gleefully as she watched everyone at eastern HQ pouring out of the building to see the golden plane land. Tooth looked incredibly relieved at the sight of her two companions' safe return. Spots jumped out of the plane as Sandy reverted it back to its original state of dream sand. Grinning from ear to ear, she turned to Roy and gave a smart salute, shocking everybody. Spottedpool never saluted… ever.

"One Sanderson Mansnoozie retrieved from Central HQ. Lieutenant Colonel Hughes sends his regards."

Roy saluted her back with a crooked smile. "Why are you saluting now?" he asked with a chuckle.

"I have no idea. I just felt giddy so I decided to do something weird."

"And here I was thinking you've finally learned to respect command."

She laughed. "Not by a long shot." She looked around. "Any other Guardians found?"

"No, not yet. But we have been waiting for any information and repeating your orders," Fuery replied.

Spots gave a nod of approval. Then she turned to Sandy, who had been pulling on her denim jacket's sleeve. "Yes, Sandy?"

A symbol representing her and Sandy alone appeared over his head.

"Of course we can speak alone. If you'll excuse us," she told the others. She led him over to a secluded part of the area, knowing that nobody was stupid enough to try to eavesdrop. "What's up?"

The symbol of Pitch formed, with her picture, a sword, and a question mark. Her response sounded slightly irritated. "Yes, I can fight him."

Sandy gave her a doubtful look. Two other girls developed over his head, both with wings: one angel-like, the other bat-like.

"They are completely in check here. Because kids do not know the Guardians, they cannot not believe in them, which keeps Nightshade at bay. Starlight has no desire to take control, so there is no threat from her either. I'm completely fine to fight Pitch."

Her image materialized once more. Spots knelt down and placed her hands on his shoulder. "Sandy, I know you're worried I won't be able to cope with this. When it comes to the Elric brothers, though, I would fight to my last breath. I would fight the Devil himself if he threatened those boys. So please, don't worry about me. I'll make it through this and I won't do anything I may come to regret, okay?"

The way her blue eyes shone, Sandy knew she meant every word. He smiled and she gave him a big hug. Standing straight again, Spots brushed the dirt from her light blue jeans and pulled at her sunset design shirt. "Come on," she said to him. "We should probably get back before they begin to worry." Happily, they walked back to the building.

Both Sandy and Spots froze at the sight that awaited them in HQ. A small bunny was hopping around… in midair. Instead of fur, it was made of frost and everywhere it jumped, snowflakes fell. Everybody was trying to catch or to destroy the strange creature, but Spots called out, "Don't hurt it!"

The desperation in her voice caused everyone to back away from the bunny. She saw something in it. Looking closer, she recognized the item. Slowly, Spots approached it, reaching out a hand. As soon as she touched it, a frozen wind and blinding flash filled the room.

"What did you do, Spots?" demanded Roy.

Before Spots could answer, there was a clatter. She stepped forward, still blinking away the spots in her eyes, and picked up the object that fell. Everyone was silent as they stared at the silver State Alchemist pocket watch of Edward Elric.

Spots met Roy's eyes and whispered something that terrified everyone. "Pitch has him."

Tooth fluttered over to Spots and placed a gentle hand on her shoulder. It was clearly audible when Spots said to Tooth, "He has Jack, too."

"You can't know that for sure, Spots."

"Who else can create creatures with frost and bring them to life? Pitch has them both somewhere. And if he has Ed, then I guarantee you he has Al as well." Smoke started to rise from her hair.

To calm her down, Riza piped in, "They are well enough to send us a message. Maybe Ed placed something in his watch."

"I don't think so."

Everyone turned to Havoc, who had spoken. He and Sandy were staring at the floor where some snow has settled. Spots instantly moved to stand next to the two and looked at the message.

_Spots, _

_Ed and I are fine. Pitch has captured us and is_

_holding Al hostage to ensure we do not escape. We don't_

_know his plans, but you are part of them. He is depending _

_on you to rescue us. Please, no matter what he does to influence_

_you, do not rescue us. We are making a plan to escape. Stay safe._

_-Jack Frost_

Spottedpool stared at the message for a few moments. Then she walked away from it to the window and took a stick from her pocket. Pointing it outside, she cried out, "Expecto patronum!" Outside, a silver wolf appeared. Spots spoke to it, or more, told it what to say.

"Like hell am I going to sit here and let you two morons come up with an escape plan. You sit your asses there until I come to get you. And Pitch, if you're listening, understand that you are a dead man when I get there."

The wolf dipped its head and raced off to deliver the message.

"Spots," said Tooth. "What was that?"

Spots explained as she placed the wand back in her pocket. "A patronus. Millions of kids fell in love with the Harry Potter series, so I developed the ability to cast certain spells. It's actually quite fun. My patronus will find the boys and deliver the message. After we find North and Bunny, we'll rescue the boys."

"Speaking of your friends, Spots, we got a call a few minutes before the snow rabbit appeared. Apparently, the headquarters up at Mt. Briggs found a man with a white beard and a red coat in the snow. Major General Armstrong has placed him in a cell just in case he was a Drachma spy," Fuery told her.

Chuckling, she replied, "Good old Olivier. May she never change from her slightly paranoid ways."

"Slightly?" asked Roy.

"Give it a rest Roy. I'm going to head up to Mt. Briggs to retrieve a Guardian. Anyone want to come?"

Sandy enthusiastically raised his hand. Tooth, however, opted out.

"I'll stay here in case there's another message from the boys," she explained.

Spots gave a nod of approval then turned to Sandy. "Well, old friend, I'll leave method of travel up to you again."

He smiled and walked outside, with Spots following. Creating a large amount of dream sand, he formed a cloud beneath him and held out his hand to help her up. Smiling, she took it and stepped onto the cloud.

"How kind of you. I must ask, though, what the hell happened to the plane?"

Sandy got an absolutely mischievous grin on his face. He then raised his hands and started to change the shape of the cloud with both of them standing on it. Spots gave a whoop of surprise as the platform underneath her vanished then reformed into a seat. Rubbing her back ruefully, she gave Sandy a glare as he grinned at her from the pilot's seat.

"How is Pitch the most evil person that we have to fight? I think you could show him a thing or two."

Sandy's grin widened. Then he put on his flight goggles and they took to the air for Mt. Briggs.


	8. Chapter 8

Pitch was in a bit of a bad mood. He had captured the Elric brother's about three days before the appearance of the Guardians, expecting Spots to come crashing through the door demanding their immediate release. When Jack had appeared north of Mt. Briggs, Pitch instantly grabbed him, too, knowing how Spots cared for him. Last he knew, they had a crush on each other, but they refused to admit it. And yet, there was no sign that she even cared about his prisoners.

Then he saw it. The silver wolf. He watched as it made its way into the room where the boys were being kept. Swiftly, he made his way to the door and listened to what Spottedpool's messenger had to say. He had to keep himself from laughing as he heard Spots' voice berating the two boys.

"Like hell am I going to sit here and let you two morons come up with an escape plan. You sit your asses there until I come to get you. And Pitch," (He froze when he heard his name.) "If you're listening, understand you are a dead man when I get there."

Pitch smiled and left the prisoner's to dwell on her words. It seemed Spots was aware of the situation and had absolutely no regards for any threat he posed to her. That was fine. This time, he did not pose a threat to her. He just needed her to listen. His only concern was that she would kill him before he said what he needed to say. When Spottedpool Evans issues a threat, she delivers.

A Nightmare came up to him and made a report. He turned sharply to glare at it.

"What do you mean, she went to Mt. Briggs?!"

The Nightmare snorted again. Pitch snapped back, "I don't need your sarcasm." He rubbed his forehead in frustration. "At least tell me she wasn't stupid enough to go alone."

A small neigh came from the shadowy horse. A ghost of a smile crossed his face. "Sandy. Of course." He turned to the Nightmare. "Keep an eye on her. And no attacks like last time."

It huffed in complaint. "I don't care if she was asking for it; you should all know she can be irritating. Just stay out of sight and report back to me when she heads back to Mustang's office," he ordered.

The Nightmare dipped its head and took off to do its master's bidding. Pitch watched it leave, then whispered absently to himself, "Stupid girl. Going to get herself hurt before I can deliver the message." He walked into the room he used as his office and shut the door, determined to figure out what to do next.


	9. Chapter 9

In the snow-covered landscape of Mt. Briggs, Spottedpool and Sandy were in a bit of trouble. The bitter winds had frozen the propeller on the plane and they were going into a nosedive.

"Sandy!" she called. "Change it into dream sand!"

Several urgent images appeared rapidly over his head.

"How can all of your sand be frozen?! I thought it generated heat!"

More pictures, one of which received a glare from Spots.

"There's no need for foul language!" She saw the snow drifts growing at a fast rate. "Brace yourself!"

They both ducked down and closed their eyes. Just before they crashed into the ground, something smashed into the side of the plane, flipping it upside down just as it landed. Spots felt someone roughly pull her from the plane. From the number of voices and their rough location, she figured Sandy had been pulled out too. She opened her eyes to see a large man standing over her with an automail chainsaw arm.

"Hello, Captain Buccaneer."

Buccaneer gave what might have been a smile, or what might have been a sneer. Spots decided it was a smile. "I thought it might have been you, Evans," he said.

He turned to the golden form of Sandy, who was sitting up and shaking his head. "Is he with you?"

"Yeah, he's no threat to Briggs." She stood and brushed herself off. "I'm here about the prisoner that Major General Armstrong is keeping. His name is Nicholas St. North."

"Oh, him. Yeah, he's just in the cells for safety reasons. We'll take you to him."

Spots nodded in approval. "Come on, Sandy! We have another Guardian to retrieve."

Escorted by the soldiers of Olivier Armstrong, Spots and Sandy were led to Fort Briggs.

Major General Olivier Armstrong watched the two enter her fort. They stopped in front of her, Spottedpool giving a little swagger in her stop and the little golden man smiling peacefully.

"What do you think you're doing here, Evans?" she asked calmly.

Spots replied just as coolly, "I'm retrieving a friend of mine, Armstrong. I believe you are holding him prisoner. I am simply asking you to release him into my custody."

"And if I say no?"

A small fire lit in Spots' eyes. "Then I will be forced to fight my way through your forces to get him."

"That would be incredibly foolish of you," Olivier said. "I have hundreds of soldiers here and each is a well-oiled machine in battle."

"I'll do what it takes to help my friends."

The women locked eyes, Spottedpool's a deeper shade of blue than the icy color of  
Olivier's, and stared at each other for a long moment. Nobody moved, and few dared to breath. Then Olivier smiled.

"It's good to see you haven't changed a bit, Spots, even if you keep stranger company than I thought possible."

Spots returned the smile. "For a moment, I thought I might actually have to fight you. Your pokerface has gotten a lot better."

Olivier walked over to Spots and said in a low voice, "But yours hasn't. I know you're hiding something from me and until you explain what, your friend stays here."

Spots sighed. "Alright. But let's go somewhere more private. What secrets I have kept are not for all ears, and while I trust your men, you can never tell when evil ears are listening in."

Olivier nodded. "Come with me."

Without hesitation, Spots followed her, accompanied by Sandy. Nobody noticed the dark shadow that also followed them as the Nightmare determinedly tried to come up with a good report for his irate master.


	10. Chapter 10

**Spottedpool14: Sorry it took so long to publish this chapter. i was gone for a week on a trip and then a lot of other things seemed to come out of nowhere. hope you enjoy it!**

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Jack and Ed were bored. They had tried to come up with several ideas of escape between the time they sent the message and the time they received Spottedpool's message, but each was worse than the last. When they received word from Spots, they gave up all attempts, knowing full well that when she set her mind to something, it usually got done.

So they sat on the ground, doodling in the dust. Jack occasionally created a small creature out of ice and Ed would transmute small trinkets. Then he got an idea, "I could create a key for these chains. We could free ourselves, then run and fight Pitch and escape with Al."

"I like the idea of getting the chains off, but trying to fight Pitch would be difficult, especially without my staff to channel my magic. And neither one of us is fit for a physical fight. Let's just get the chains off and wait for Spots. She can fight Pitch blindfolded."

Ed frowned. "I don't like the idea of waiting for someone to rescue me."

Jack nodded in understanding. "I don't like it either, but face it, if we tried to escape or fight, Pitch will hurt your brother."

Ed looked away with a dark expression. Changing the subject, Jack suggested, "How about we get these chains off? Then we'll try to think of a way to at least keep Pitch occupied."

With an agreeing grunt, Ed clapped his hands together and placed them on the floor. With a bright flash, a key formed. Placing it in the lock on his right hand, he turned it and the manacle fell to the ground with a clank. After releasing his left hand as well, he tossed the key to Jack. The Guardian caught it deftly and freed himself. Then they sat there for a moment, wondering what to do next.

Impatience rose within Edward. "I need to save my brother! Who knows what that thing is doing to him?! I don't care if I get hurt, I need- Oof!" He fell, a cold missile cutting him off.

Jack stood over him with a smile and another snowball in his hand. "You are way too serious for a fifteen year old kid. I know we're in a bad situation, but freaking out won't help. I already said we'll wait for Spots, so while we're waiting, we may as well as have some fun."  
"Fun?!" Ed spat the word out like it was poison. "Fun?! My brother is being held captive by some guy I don't even know, who has threatened to harm him, and you want to play games?!"

Shrugging, Jack replied, "Pitch only said he would hurt your brother if we tried to escape. We're not escaping, just not chained up. Now, stop being such a wet blanket and have some fun." He threw the snowball. Ed dodged it and retaliated by transmuting a wall under Jack's feet and sending him flying. Laughing, Jack hovered after reaching the peak of the launch. He made it snow heavily, layering the floor enough so that Ed could also make snowballs.

How long they had their snowball fight, neither could tell. They both laughed like maniacs as the frozen missiles flew at across the room. At one point, Jack launched at least fifty at Ed, who retaliated with a transmuted snowman, shoving it across the now icy floor. Then Jack threw a snowball at Ed, who dodged it… just as the door behind him opened.

The smiles vanished quickly from both of their faces when they saw Pitch standing stock still in the doorway, snow splattered on his face. Jack could not help but remember the last time he hit Pitch with a snowball, when they had been trying to protect Jamie. It had been funny that time. Granted, he had not been Pitch's prisoner.

Pitch glared at the two boys. Ed stepped back a bit while Jack walked to stand by him. They raised their chins defiantly, completely disregarding the fact that neither of them was fit to fight. Pitch raised his hands, calling forth several Nightmares to attack.

Jack instantly stepped in front of Ed, taking down the first Nightmare. Transmuting his automail arm into a blade, Ed lunged at the next one. They both continued to fight bravely while Pitch summoned more of his shadowy horses. Unfortunately, both boys were already tired from their earlier imprisonment and the snowball fight and were soon overwhelmed. Nightmares surrounded them, only creating a small path when Pitch approached them.

His voice was full of menace as he said, "I warned you not to do anything stupid. You leave me no choice but to step up your chains." As he spoke, the chains shot from the walls and wrapped themselves around the boys.

Jack glowered at Pitch with hatred in his eyes. "You think chains will stop me, Pitch? That didn't work too well last time."

The evil smile that came across the Nightmare King's face was terrifying. "Perhaps they didn't, but these ones will."

Ed had been examining the new restraints. "Jack," he said nervously. "These chains are made of sand."

Jack instantly looked down at them. Sure enough, they had been created with black sand. Nightmare sand.

Horrified, he looked back at Pitch, who was walking away. The Boogeyman's voice echoed around them, speaking the last words they would hear for a while. "Sweet dreams, Jack."


	11. Chapter 11

Olivier sat down behind her desk, gesturing Spots and Sandy to sit in the chairs opposite her. They both complied.

"Now," Olivier said, "What have you been keeping from us all these years?"

Spots took a deep breath. Sandy placed a reassuring hand on her arm, encouraging her to speak. She gave him a grateful look before beginning her tale.

"Most of what I have told you is the truth, just not all of it. My parents really did die when I was sixteen, along with my baby brother. That was over three hundred years ago."

Olivier's eyes widened in surprise but she held her silence.

"It was hard that winter. Everyone in our village got sick. My family was the last of the victims of that horrible flu." Tears welled up in her eyes. "It doesn't matter how long I live. Nothing will ever wipe away the image of my family's still forms in the cabin." One by one, tears fell. "Martin went first. He was only a baby, not even a year old. Then my parents followed him, minutes after I discovered he was dead. They looked so peaceful, like they were sleeping…" Her voice trailed off. She stared past Olivier, as if her family's bodies were there.

Collecting herself, she continued, "I took care of myself after they died. No one even knew they were dead, not even my best friend, Jack. I think he suspected it, but he never brought it up. We had a lot of fun together. I would come up with crazy ideas, and he would help me make them into reality." She paused thoughtfully. "I suppose that's why Man in Moon took notice of me. Nobody could match my imagination. He visited me the night my family died, and he asked me if I would become a Guardian, to help in the battle against Pitch, the guy creating the Nightmares. I told him I would with one condition: I couldn't leave Jack behind.

"In my village, people would call me a witch. My ideas were less than appreciated and would sometimes be dangerous. Jack didn't care, though. He would help me to create some of them, even test them out with me. On our last day together, we had tried out a giant slingshot. It was so much fun, launching each other across the field. The next day, he died. He had taken his sister, Emma, ice-skating on the pond. The warm weather had made the ice thin. Emma went a little too far out and Jack rescued her. However, he didn't make it. I was crushed when I heard. Manny himself told me. That night, he gave me all of my powers, unlocking all of the potential within me, good and bad."

She and Sandy shared a meaningful glance. Turning back to Olivier, she finished her story. "Ever since, I have dedicated my life to protecting the children of the world. When I discovered the entrance to your world, I vowed to protect everyone here as well."

"I notice you said you protected the children, not you spent your life fighting this Pitch person."

"There are many more threats to children than just Pitch. All he does is instill fear into their hearts. And fear is not always a bad thing. It wakes you up, makes you feel alive, and gives you something to conquer."

Olivier smiled coolly. "And that's the only reason?"

Spots met her gaze and answered just as coolly, "That is the only reason you need to know."

"And how does your friend play into this? The one I have locked up."

"He, Sandy, and three others are also Guardians. My friend Jack actually became a Guardian after his death. I may need their help to protect Amestris."

Olivier got up and went to the door. Opening it, she told the guard, "Release the prisoner, Nicholas St. North."

"Yes, sir!"

There was the sound of receding footsteps, the she turned back to Spots. "I trust you, Spots. I know you told me the truth when you told your story. Now, protect my country and everyone in it."

Spots gave a cocky-ass smile. "That is what I intend to do." The women shook hands.

Retrieving North, who was fine apart from being a little scared of the Major General, Spottedpool and her Guardian friends flew back to East HQ.

The Nightmare that had been listening to the whole exchange also took off, heading back to Pitch with what it hoped to be a good report.


	12. Chapter 12

**Spottedpool14: Just to warn you guys, it might be a while until my next update. i'm graduating soon and will no longer have regular access to a computer, but i will do my best to finish this before the end of the summer. =)**

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Pitch was going to check up on Alphonse Elric. Although he would never admit it, the idea of a soul controlling a suit of armor unnerved him. Sure, he had once used one of North's creations, the djinni robot, as his body, but that was completely different. He had simply taken over the controls within the robot. The armor had nothing in it apart from the blood rune, which Alphonse had explained (after ensuring that Pitch had no intentions to kill either of them) tied his soul to the armor.

He entered the room to find Al sitting up, his arms raised above his head in chains. The glowing eyes peered from the visor. "What do you want now?"

Pitch scowled. "Don't you ever sleep?"

"I can't in this body," Al explained wearily, as if he had been asked that question numerous times. "I also can't eat or feel warmth or cold or-."

"Alright, alright, I get it. You can't really do anything in that body apart from move and think."

There was a silence that followed, in which Pitch thought of something he hadn't before. If this kid couldn't sleep, he probably couldn't have nightmares. He cursed himself for not thinking of that earlier.

"How's my big brother?"

Pitch could tell the boy was trying to stay calm and not show any fear, but he could sense it. A small part of him admired that. He replied, "Your brother is taking a short nap until Spottedpool gets here."

"What have you done to him?!" Al demanded.

"Relax. It won't be more than a two days before Spots breaks down the door, ordering your release. She'll wake both him and Frost."

"Why are you so determined to get her attention? It's not like she'll thank you for kidnapping us. Most kidnappers tend not to draw the attention of someone that could beat them."

Pitch thought about it for a moment, debating whether or not to tell his prisoner why he needed to speak with Spots. He decided to at least give him an idea of why he was here.

"I need to deliver a message to her. It's very important that she hears it."

"Why not just go tell her, instead of kidnapping innocent kids?" Al inquired.

Pitch countered, "Every time we meet, we usually end up fighting each other. I assume that when she rescues you and your brother we'll fight again. I also thought this would get her to listen far better than me just waltzing up to her and going 'Hey, I have something to tell you!' And don't play innocent. I know why you and your brother are the way you are. Performing a forbidden science is hardly virtuous."

Al bowed his head in shame. "All we wanted to do was see mom again."

Pitch said nothing, waiting for Al to continue trying to excuse his mistake. He always hated when kids did that. He was surprised when Al continued, "It was stupid of us and now we're stuck in these bodies. Ed's trying to find a way to fix it, but there might not be one."

Pitch shook his head in amazement. He didn't know many adults that would admit they had made a mistake and here was this kid not only admitting his mistake, but understanding there might not be a way to fix the consequences of it. It became clear why Spottedpool cared so much for these two boys and why she fought so hard to protect them. And he realized just how dead he was when she came crashing through that door.

He needed a way to keep himself alive long enough to deliver the warning. _What do I have that Spots won't attack?_ His eyes drifted to Alphonse. _Of course, _he thought. Turning into shadow, he became the darkness in Alphonse's armor and gained control of the only way he could survive when Spottedpool came to save those boys.

Al started freaking out. "What are you doing?! Get out of my armor!"

The way he was jerking around caused Pitch to hit his head a few times. "Knock it off!" he snapped. "I'm doing this for both of our sakes. If Spots kills me, then your world is doomed."

That caused Al to freeze. "What do you mean?"

Again, Pitch cursed himself. Now he had no choice but to tell Alphonse what was going on. "The message I have for Spottedpool is about a threat, a very large threat to Amestris. If she doesn't know about it, life here will end."

"Why do you care?" Al shot back.

"I don't have to answer to a fourteen year old boy! Just be glad that I'm trying to save your country and stop being so damn nosy!"

Al fell silent. Pitch began his wait for Spottedpool, knowing full well that it might end in his death.


	13. Chapter 13

Spottedpool was quite surprised to arrive at HQ and see Bunny waiting there with Tooth. "How'd you get here?" she demanded, hopping out of the golden plane they had flown from Mt. Briggs.

Smiling, he replied, "Your magic trail isn't hard to follow. I just tunneled until I was at where it was strongest."

Sticking out her tongue, Spots turned to Roy. "That's all of the Guardians then, seeing as Pitch has Jack. Let's go get our boys back now."

Roy simply shook his head. "As much as I want the Elric brothers back as fast as possible, there's no way we could find them before nightfall and we should probably be fully rested if we're going to save them."

Spots looked at the horizon, where the sun was beginning to set. "Point taken," she said. She looked at the other Guardians. "We'll sleep here tonight. Be battle ready by morning. I don't know how many Nightmares have been created this time."

"Lt. Hawkeye and I will also stay here," Roy announced. Turning to the rest of his subordinates, he ordered, "The rest of you are to carry on tomorrow as usual. Understand?"

They threw a smart salute and replied, "Yes, sir!"

As everyone took off for their homes, Spots whispered to Roy, "You didn't have to do that."

"What? You expect me to leave you to fight this guy alone? I'll be with you every step of the way."

Smiling, she answered, "You might eat your words by tomorrow."

Sandy tiptoed carefully past the three sleeping forms of Roy, Bunny, and North. Above each of their heads, golden dream sand glowed. No Nightmares would plague anyone under Sandy's watch. He opened the door to Roy's office, where the girls were camping out. He wasn't surprised to see Spots looking out the window at the moon. Walking over to her, he placed his hand on her shoulder.

She didn't even bother looking at him as she whispered quietly, "What do you think he's doing right now, Sandy?" She turned to him, worry clear in her eyes.

Z's formed above his head.

With a chuckle, she faced the moon again. The light seemed to make her eyes silver. Sandy repressed a shudder. It was never good when her eyes changed color.

"Do you think I'm doing the right thing? I mean, I know I have to save the boys, but should I really fight Pitch? What if someone gets hurt?" She looked over to where Riza was sleeping. "I couldn't bear it if Roy or Riza were killed in a battle they were never meant to be a part of."

Sandy gave her a comforting smile. Then, he created dream sand and placed his hand on her forehead. _Do not fret, _he whispered in her mind. _All will end well. Now rest. _With little complaint, Spots drifted to sleep.

He watched as the sand formed her dream above her head. There was Spots, and even though he couldn't see her face clearly, Sandy knew she was smiling. Next to her stood a familiar figure, taking her hand and kissing it in an old-fashioned gesture. The two figures danced beautifully together. Sandy looked back to Spots' sleeping face.

A single tear slowly slid down her cheek. He wiped it away. He knew she believed the dream to be impossible. He also knew that it could very easily become reality, if the two people would just admit their feelings. Smiling and shaking his head, Sandy left Spots to dance in her dream.


	14. Chapter 14

Jack was on the pond again. There was Emma, skating away and laughing with pure delight. He let out a chuckle. It was beautiful outside and they were just having fun. What could possibly go wrong?

He was just about to put his skates on when Emma screamed with fear. Looking up, he saw her frozen in terror. He ran towards her a little ways before stopping when he saw what was wrong. All around her feet, the ice started cracking. Carefully, he put his skates down and said, "It's alright, it's okay. Just don't look down, look at me."

"Jack," she whispered, "I'm scared."

"I know, I know." He took a step toward her, which created cracks all around his foot. "But everything's going to be all right, and you're not going to fall in. We're going to have a little fun instead."

"No, we're not!" Emma shouted.

"Would I trick you?" Jack asked with a chuckle.

"Yes! You always play tricks!"

"Okay, but not this time. You just have to believe in me."

Emma let out a small breath of air and nodded.

"You want to play a game? We're going to play hopscotch, like we play every day. It's as easy as one…" He took a step towards the thicker ice. Fear crept in his heart when he heard the sound of ice cracking beneath his feet. Looking at Emma, he put on a brave smile and acted like it was just a game. "Whoa," he said with a joking voice. "Two…" He took the next step. He let out an inward sigh of relief when he heard nothing. "Three!" He jumped to safety. Looking at Emma and reaching for his staff, he said, "Now it's your turn. One…"

She took a step towards him, the ice webbing across the pond surface.

"That's it, that's it. Two…"

She took another step towards him. Then disaster struck.

Just as Jack called out "Three!" and lunged for Emma, the ice beneath her broke and she plunged into the icy depths below.

"EMMA!" Jack cried. He dove for the hole, which was freezing over at an alarming rate. By the time he reached it, it was completely solid. He pounded on the ice, screaming as tears coursed down his face. On the other side of the ice, a small hand pressed against the ice. Jack threw all of his weight into his punches, desperately calling out, "EMMA! HANG ON, I'LL GET YOU OUT!" He looked around and screamed, "HELP! SOMEONE HELP!" Turning his attention back to the ice, his heart dropped like a stone.

Emma's hand was gone.

As Jack cried, the scene changed.

He was in Pitch's lair. He reached for his staff, but it wasn't there. It took him a moment before he realized there was no immediate threat. Relief washed over Jack… and then he looked down.

The Guardians lay unmoving at his feet.

Bunnymund was stretched out on his back, his right arm in an awkward position. Next to him was a broken boomerang. There were no injuries on his stomach, but something horrible must've happened to his back, because there was blood pooling around him. His eyes were closed, so if Jack ignored everything else, he could imagine he was sleeping.

North was lying on his side, swords bent in front of him. A few cuts were on his face, but Jack assumed his coat was hiding a horrible wound. North's eyes were also closed, and Jack had to hold back the tears forming in his eyes. He turned his gaze to Tooth, thinking she might have been luckier. She hadn't.

Her right wing was broken and feathers lay scattered around her. Her right hand was resting over her stomach, where blood had stained her beautiful green feathers. Around her, with the feathers, lay several of her little tooth fairies. Jack let out a sob when he saw Baby Tooth among them. He could see the purple of her half-opened eyes had dulled in pain before they lost the life within them.

Jack scanned the area for Sandy, who was nowhere to be seen. _He must've been turned into Nightmare sand like last time,_ Jack thought. That did nothing to improve his mood. And then he saw Spots.

She was slumped against the blood-stained wall, sword still in hand, even though the blade had been snapped in half. Jack assumed she had fought the hardest, because there were many serious injuries covering her body. She had a gash on her torso that ran from her left shoulder to her right hip. There was a small blood trail on the corner of her mouth, and a cut on her cheek. Her blue eyes stared blankly at the floor, all life gone from them.

They were all dead, and Jack could do nothing for them. He collapsed and wept, unable to hold it back anymore. He understood he was in a Nightmare. Why else would he be seeing these things? However, the knowledge did nothing to ease the pain in his heart.

Pitch stood in the shadows of his home, staring at Jack. He was curious what Jack would see in his Nightmare, but this was not what he had expected. It was far more terrifying than he would have thought possible from the mind of Jack. He did his best to ignore the still form of Spots, which freaked him out to no end. She was the only Guardian that Pitch figured was impossible to kill.

He left Jack to his wretched sleep and removed his hand from Jack's forehead. Pitch left the room, deciding against looking at Ed's dream, which he had also intended to do. He wasn't sure he could handle whatever Ed's worst fears were, not after being surprised by Jack.


	15. Chapter 15

Dawn hadn't quite broken as Sandy woke the Guardians, along with Roy and Riza. They all stood around, wiping the sleep away from their bleary vision, before preparing themselves for the upcoming fight. Roy and Riza loaded their guns and made sure they had extra ammo. North and Tooth were sharpening swords against the corners of the stone wall. Bunny was assessing the amount of exploding eggs he had with him, trying to determine if they would be enough. Only Sandy seemed unfazed by the thought of a battle.

Grabbing his gloves from his desk, Roy looked around and realized Spottedpool was missing.

"Sandy," he said. "Where is Spots?"

"Right here."

Everyone turned to where Spots' voice had come from. There she stood in the doorway, calm and collected.

"Spots, what are you wearing?" asked Roy incredulously.

She smiled at him. Looking down at her outfit, she could see why he was shocked. Her strapless gray dress was cut up to the middle of her thighs in the front and almost reached the floor in the back, a see-through mesh lining the hem. A gold belt looped around her waist, higher on one hip than the other. Around her wrists were strips of leather, wrapped like a bandage that stopped before her elbow. Her bare feet lay just below two golden rings that encircled her ankles. And around her neck was leather choker with a stone heart pendant dangling from it.

She brushed away the loose strands from her braided hair. "This is my outfit as a Guardian. It's what I where to my battles with Pitch, or for other occasions that I feel require it."

Roy stood in silence for a moment before he replied, "Alright… that's a new one for me."

Another smile played on Spots' lips. "You should really learn to expect the unexpected with me."

"I do. But then you turn around and pull something crazy out of thin air."

"Enough chitchat," North declared. "Are we going to go save Jack and the other two boys or not?"

"We will set out in just a moment, North. But first, I would like a word with Sandy real quick."

Sandy smiled and walked over to the door, holding it open for Spots. She strode over, hooking Sandy's arm in the process and pulling him in after her. When they got to the center of the room, she let go.

"Alright, little man. What have I told you about giving me those damn dreams of yours?"

He smiled innocently. A golden question mark appeared above his head.

"Don't play innocent with me. You know very well I have asked you on numerous occasions to stop giving me those dreams. The relationship is not going to happen and your pushing for it won't help."

Sandy gave her a disbelieving look. A series of images popped over his head, at one point showing Spots and the figure she had danced with in her dream. She crossed her arms stubbornly.

"I do not care what my feelings say. Right now, I have more important things to worry about than a relationship. That reminds me, we should probably get going before all of the Nightmares retreat to wherever Pitch is keeping them."

A speech bubble and the pause symbol appeared over his head.

"I know the conversation isn't over," she said with a heavy sigh. "When we get back home, we'll start it up again."

Sandy nodded then marched out of the room, followed by Spots. Everyone turned to look at them.

"Alright!" Spots clapped her hands together. "Who's ready to go find a horse before dawn breaks?"

When everyone gave her an inquisitive look, a mischievous smile spread across Spottedpool's face as she explained her plan.


	16. Chapter 16

**Spottedpool14: I am so sorry it's taken so long to publish this chapter. I was really busy for a while, and then i couldn't think of how i wanted this chapter to go, then i never had time to get to the library... ugh. anyway, please bear with me for a little bit longer and enjoy this chapter!**

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"Are you sure about this idea, Spots?" Roy inquired while peering through the branches of the bush he was hiding behind.

Spottedpool, who was sitting beside him, smiled and replied, "You're not scared, are you, Roy?"

"No. I'm just not eager to try and capture a damn Nightmare so it can lead us to its boss, who you say is probably the most dangerous person we'll ever face."

Turning her gaze to him, she interpreted, "Sooo, you're scared."

"I am a veteran of the Ishbal rebellion, if you care to recall."

"Ahh, yes. Remind me again how the great Hero of Ishbal came to my medical tent every day because he needed to cuddle with the teddy bear I had for the kids I treated."

Roy went bright red. Before he could shoot back an answer, Riza called quietly, "Would you two knock it off? You'll give away our position."

Smirking, Spots extended her hand. "Truce?"

"Truce," he replied, clasping her hand. They both returned their gazes to the shadow-filled clearing in front of them. The rest of the Guardians were surrounding the area and everyone was waiting for a Nightmare to appear.

"You're one hundred percent sure a Nightmare will pass through here?" Roy asked.

"Yes," Spots replied. "This is definitely where one has passed by on a nightly basis. I'm positive it will appear again."

"How do you know?"

A dark look passed across her face. "It's complicated."

Roy knew better than to ask. He kept his eyes fixed to the clearing and waited. And waited. And waited. Growing impatient, he opened his mouth to complain when he noticed Spots tense.

"It's coming!" she whispered.

Everyone watched as the Nightmare galloped into view. The dark mare slowed in the center of the clearing and froze, staring at the slowly lightening horizon.

Roy looked at Spots and mouthed, _What's it doing?_

_Waiting_, she mouthed back.

_For what?_

Spots didn't answer. Instead, she slowly began to creep towards the Nightmare. She had explained her plan to everyone, ending all arguments against it with a fierce stare and low growl. Sandy especially had put up a fight before he finally gave up against her stubbornness.

Spots was going to ride the Nightmare.

She approached the creature from behind, staying low to the ground to avoid being seen. When she got within a foot of the black horse, she became absolutely still. Then, she leaped onto its back.

Instantly, the Nightmare unfroze, bucking and kicking to dislodge its unwelcome passenger. Spots clung doggedly to its neck, trying not to allow the darkened Dream sand to affect her.

The Guardians leapt from their hiding places to aid their friend by keeping the Nightmare from taking off.

Sandy tossed one of his whips to Tooth, who sped around the horse's muzzle, tying it around its mouth. Tooth passed the new lead to North, who strained to pull down the bucking creature.

"Spots!" called North. "I've got it! You can get off now!"

Spots promptly let go of the mare's neck and launched herself from its back. She landed with a thump on the hard ground. Bunny quickly dragged her safely away from the stomping Nightmare's feet then dashed back to help subdue the creature.

Roy and Riza ran to Spots' side and helped sit her up against a tree.

"Are you okay, Spots?" Riza inquired.

"Fine," she coughed. "I'm fine." She struggled to her feet, using the tree for support. Closing her eyes, she took several deep breaths. When she opened them again, both Roy and Riza took a step back.

For one second, Spots' eyes were a bright shade of purple.

She blinked and they returned back to their clear blue. Straightening up, she turned to the Guardians, who were still struggling to control the Nightmare. Purposefully, she strode to the bucking horse and held her hand out to North.

"Give me the lead, North."

"Spots…" came Tooth's fearful voice.

She kept her hand held out, waiting for the lead to be placed in it.

Hesitantly, North gave Spots the golden rope. It abruptly turned black in her hand. The Nightmare calmed down and stared at her. Smiling, she gave it a pat on the cheek. "Good boy."

Roy watched with his mouth wide open. "Spots, what the hell?"

She turned and gave him an innocent smile. "What?"

Sandy started spouting images before Spots cut him off. "Yeah, yeah. I get the confusion. But right now, we have three boys in need of rescuing. They take priority."

The Guardians nodded in agreement, all a little too quickly for Roy and Riza's taste. They opened their mouths to protest, but Spots stopped them before they could.

"I promise I'll explain everything, but Pitch could be doing God knows what to those boys. Let's worry about them first."

Looking at each other, Roy and Riza grudgingly muttered in agreement.

Spots turned her gaze back to the Nightmare, then walked over to its side. For one moment, she hesitated. Then she swung herself onto the dark horse's back.

"Alright, buddy. Take us to Pitch."

The creature gave a huff, then turned and began to slowly trot off to where Pitch was residing.


	17. Chapter 17

**Spottedpool14: Thank you Thedemonoverlord238 for informing me about the glitch in the story. I hope that my edits make reading this chapter easier.**

Pitch sulked inside of Alphonse's armor. He hadn't said much to him since he had checked on the boys and seen Jack's nightmare. He had assured Al that his brother was still alive and semi-okay. After that, the silence was unbroken. It had given Pitch time to think.

Spottedpool was guaranteed to rescue the boys. Jack especially. Pitch suspected that the relationship they had had before they became Guardians flourished again now that Jack remembered who he was. As for the Elric brothers, Pitch had seen how much Spots cared for them. They were like little brothers to her, filling the hole that had been left after her own little brother died. So the question of rescuing was not if, but when.

As if on cue, there was a loud bang as the large metal front doors swung open.

A smile crept across Pitch's face. "Speak of the devil." Using the Nightmare sand to fill Al's armor, he forced Al to stand and begin walking.

"What are you doing?" Al demanded.

"Just keep walking. You have my word that I will not harm you or your brother."

"What about Spots?"

A grim look came onto Pitch's face. "That depends on her."

They got to the room where Jack and Ed were tied up to find the door wide open. Inside, the Guardians, Roy, Riza, and Spots surrounded the unconscious boys. Al began to call out to them when Pitch cut him off. "Don't say anything," he whispered. "Just watch for now."

"Sandy," said Spots. "Could you get rid of these Nightmare sand chains?"

Sandy approached the boys and placed a hand on each of their chains, which instantly dissolved.

The pained faces on the boys softened. Their eyes flickered open and Spots let out a relieved laugh.

"You two okay?" she inquired.

Both muttered an assurance to Spots while the others helped them to their feet. That's when Ed looked up and saw Al.

"Al! Are you okay?" he called.

Pitch hissed at Al, "Answer him."

"Yeah," Al responded, "I'm fine."

"How'd you get free?" Ed asked as he took a stumbling step towards him.

Spots caught Ed before he face-planted without breaking eye-contact with Al. Pitch squirmed a little in the armor.

"He didn't, did he, Pitch?" There was a pause while she waited for a response before she continued, "I can see the Nightmare sand on Al's armor. So either you were stupid enough to try to force someone who can't sleep to have nightmares or you're hiding in his armor because you're too scared to face me one on one."

"Can you blame me?" he ventured.

Her scowl broke for a fraction of a second before she replied, "Not really, no." The glower placed itself more firmly on her face. "But that doesn't mean I won't kick your ass for doing this to my boys."

Sandy placed his hand on Spots, the worried expression he wore confusing Pitch. He didn't get time to think about it as Spots shrugged it off. Alarm bells rang in his head from that action. Sandy could usually keep Spots calm, or at least get her to check her anger. She had never rejected Sandy's help.

"Oh shit." He whispered.

Jack and Ed both took a step forward, striking a fighting stance, even in their weakened condition.

"Stand down, boys," Spots ordered firmly.

Both hesitated before Jack protested, "But Spots, we can't let you take him on alone."

"What are we, backup dancers?" asked North indignantly.

Spots turned her gaze to Jack. "You two morons are not fighting today."

Bunny chuckled, "Better luck next time, mate."

"You're not fighting either."

"Excuse me?"

Pitch caught a glimpse of her icy gaze as she looked at the Guardians, along with Roy and Riza. "None of you are fighting. Anyone who tries will end up fighting me."

"Then why bother having us come along?" challenged Roy.

"Would you have honestly let me try to rescue the boys alone? Besides, I needed someone to help with watching over them and making sure they were okay."

"I'm not letting you fight alone!"

"Do you know Pitch's fighting style? Can you attack him without accidently harming Al? No. So just stay back and keep Ed and Jack safe." she snapped.

Spots turned back to Pitch, her eyes lit with anger. Before he could blink, she launched herself at him. She passed through the armor with a power Pitch hadn't seen her use before. He felt her hands slam onto his shoulders, sending him backwards. Understanding that she meant to get him out of Al's armor before actually launching into a fight, he decided to use it as an opportunity to get her alone. Shadows enveloped both of them and sent them falling through the floor.

They landed with a hard thump on the cement two floors down. At some point they had flipped, leaving Spots to land on the ground with Pitch landing on top of her. They lay there groaning in pain for a moment, neither really noticing the other.

After a few minutes, Spots shoved Pitch off. He rolled to one side and let out another groan. "That wasn't such a good idea."

"No shit." She sat up with a wince. "What were you thinking?"

Pitch chuckled as he also sat up. "I'm not sure anymore."

He could see that she was still in pain as she got to her feet. She drew her dagger, the blade gleaming in the light. Hesitantly, he got to his feet. He raised his hands in an attempt to calm her down. "Spots-." He started.

"No." Her eyes were once again lit with anger. "I don't care why you did it, forcing those boys to live in nightmares for however long…" She trailed off, forcing herself to take several breaths. Her voice shook as she continued, "Do you have any idea what you forced Ed to see?"

Before he could answer, she launched herself at him, screaming, "HE RELIVED THE NIGHT OF HIS FAILED TRANSMUTATION! HE RELIVED SCREAMING FOR HIS BROTHER, CRYING IN PAIN, BEGGING FOR THE TRUTH TO GIVE HIM BACK HIS BROTHER!"

Tears were running down her face as she delivered each of the blows. He deflected them, receiving only a few cuts on his arm. Shadows formed to create his scythe and he launched into a counter attack. She leapt out of the scythe's reach, but moved too slow and gained a gash across her stomach. He swung again, this time hooking her dagger out of her hand, another small cut left on her palm. He skillfully tossed it up in the air and caught it deftly in his left hand. Dissipating the scythe, he swapped the knife to his right hand and slammed Spots into the ground. Using his left hand to secure her right and resting his right knee on her left hand, he pinned her down.

Gently, he placed the edge of her blade against her neck. She struggled for a second, pulling against his hand and knee. He let out an exasperated sigh and said, "Spots, would you just listen to me for a second? Please."

She stopped moving, staring through her tear stained face in shock. He understood her surprise. Even he could remember the last time he had said please.

"Amestris is in danger, Spots-."

"That's why I'm here, dumbass, to stop you from hurting anyone-."

"Spottedpool!"

She once again fell silent

"Something more dangerous is here, in this country. I don't know their plans, but I can sense the darkness underneath the earth."

He watched her blue eyes grow wide as she seemed to take in the information, the look he knew as her putting two and two together passing through them.

"How did you find Amestris?" she asked.

"What?"

"The entrance to Amestris, how did you find it?"

"Why is that import-?"

"Was it a voice?" she interrupted.

"How did you know?"

She looked away for a second, leaving Pitch to figure it out. "That's how you found it. That voice called you here." He paused. "Why you, though? I understand why the voice thought I would aid it in its plan, but why call you?"

While he was thinking about that, he felt a hard thump on his stomach as a kick from Spots sent him stumbling back. She leapt up and slammed him against the wall, holding a dagger identical to the one he now held and pressing it against his throat. Her eyes smoldered with rage.

"If all you were trying to do was warn me, why did you kidnap Ed and Al? Why not just come and tell me?" she demanded.

"Would you have just let me walk into Eastern Headquarters without instantly jumping into a fighting stance?" he pointed out.

She shot back, "I would if you had come under a flag of truce moron!"

He fell silent for a moment before admitting, "I didn't think about that."

A sparkle of laughter flickered in her eyes, giving Pitch a little bit of hope. He relaxed his grip on the dagger, allowing it to slip from his hand. Her gaze flicked to the blade as it clattered on the floor, then returned to Pitch.

"I didn't come here to fight you, Spots. I came here to tell you about the danger that threatens this country," he explained.

"Why?" Spots gave him a questioning look. "Why do you care whether this country is in danger or not?"

Pitch hesitated before replying, "Because I can be believed in here without the Guardians attacking me every time a kid has a nightmare."

She pondered that for a minute. "How do I know you're not helping the darkness? How do I know I can trust you're telling the truth?"

"Because I've never lied to you."

His statement hung in the air as Spots froze. Her gaze became guarded and unreadable, making Pitch a little uneasy. It was a touchy subject that he was bringing up, after he had told her that Manny had manipulated her into becoming a Guardian by allowing her family to die of a sickness within one night.

After a few minutes, Spots removed her blade from his throat, leaving him to breathe a sigh of relief. "I guess you want me to leave now," he said, turning to go.

"Wait," she called.

"Yes?" He turned back to face her.

A miniscule smile resided on her face as she said, "I suppose I could tolerate your presence here, as long as kids aren't always having nightmares." The smile vanished as she continued, "However, if you give Ed or, when he gets his body back, Al any nightmares, I will hunt you down without mercy."

"What if they have a natural nightmare?" Pitch protested. He wasn't the cause of every nightmare.

An amused smile played on her lips. "I know the difference between your work and the work of a bad memory. Now get out of here, before I decide I'm being too lenient. And call off your damn Nightmares."

He turned to the shadow-covered wall with a smile and left, taking his Nightmares deeper into the woods.

Spots stared at the area where Pitch had vanished for a few minutes before tears began to fall. She collapsed onto the floor and allowed all of the pain to flood over her, crying and shaking as she slowly began to lose consciousness. A harsh voice chuckled darkly in her head. "'Why you?'" it crowed. "'Why would the voice call you here?' Why indeed."

"Go away," Spots told it.

"Spots, you know that won't get rid of me."

"Go away, Nightshade. I won't let you take over."

Nightshade laughed. "Maybe not, but I'll still be here. Your personal devil, always whispering to you, always making you hear that voice that lead you here."

Spots opened a small pouch and pulled out a bottle. Pulling off the top, she looked inside. Three small capsules lay within, each containing glowing golden sand. Shaking out one of the capsules, she placed it in her mouth and swallowed it. She heard Nightshade hiss with disgust before she fell back into Spots' mind, sleeping peacefully.

Spottedpool stood up, wiping away her tears. She then faced the wall and shadow traveled back to her friends.


	18. Chapter 18

Spottedpool stumbled out of the shadows, now outside of the warehouse. She righted herself as everyone surrounded her, bombarding her with questions.

"Are you okay?" Riza and Tooth asked simultaneously.

"What happened to Pitch?" Ed and Jack demanded.

"Is that your blood?" came Roy's concerned voice.

"Did Pitch give you the message?" queried Al.

"Did he beat you?" asked Bunny.

"What happened to your face?" North inquired.

Even Sandy had images flashing rapidly above his head.

Spots held up her hand for silence, though it took everyone a minute to quiet down.

"I'll answer your questions in a moment, okay? Just let me sit down first." She all but collapsed against the wall then slid to the ground. "Okay, now, about those questions. I'm not sure I'm okay because yes, this is my blood. No, Pitch did not beat me. It came out a draw. And North, what's wrong with my face?"

"It's covered in blood."

She looked down at the hand she had wiped away her tears with. The cut from Pitch's scythe was still bleeding. "Oh. I had some hairs stuck to my face that I couldn't seem to get rid of," she lied.

"What about Pitch?" Jack demanded once more.

"He left after the fight. I am allowing him to remain in Amestris as long as Nightmares aren't the only dreams people experience. And yes, Alphonse, he did give me the message." She turned to Roy. "We need to talk when we get back to HQ."

"I was going to tell you the same thing. But first, let's get you fixed up," he said, raising his gloved hand.

"Oh, hell no. I am not letting you torch my ass because of a few scratches."

"Fine. Spoilsport."

Spots stuck her tongue out at him before turning to Sandy. "Could you make something to get us all home?"

With a smile, Sandy created some dream sand before transforming it into a giant golden dragon. It lowered its head and nuzzled him as everyone gasped in awe. He gave Spots a wry smile.

"Showoff," she said, returning the smile. Roy offered his hand to help her up. She accepted it and pulled herself up. She threw her arm around his neck and said, "Alright, my new cane, help me to that dragon."

Chuckling, he said, "Sadly enough, that's not the strangest thing I've ever heard you say."

Spots giggled, then winced. Slowly, he helped her get to the dragon, which had lay down to allow her to clamber onto its back. Everyone else found a place all along the dragon's back. Sandy settled right behind the creature's head, signaling it to take off. It spread its massive golden wings and soared to the sky and back to Eastern HQ.

They safely landed in front of the building, where several awestruck soldiers stared at the dragon with their mouths wide open. Everyone got off of its back, Spots with some help from Roy and Riza. Sandy turned to the dragon and dispelled it, creating a shower of dream sand where it had stood.

Spots smiled at the now gold-filled sky. An image seemed to form within the falling dust for the briefest moment, an image of two people dancing. She barely had time to register it before it broke apart, but she had no doubt about whom the two figures were. She had seen them last night in her dreams. Turning to Roy, she whispered, "I believe I owe you a few answers."

With a smirk, he replied, "A few?"

"Just help me to your office, smartass, and I'll tell you what you should know."

"Everything?" he pressed.

"Everything," she promised.

He and Riza exchanged a look. Then, they began to help her into the building.

"Sandy," she called back. "You should come, too. There are a few things we need to discuss."

A worried look came across his face as he followed them into HQ. Everyone else trailed in after them, Ed and Jack also getting a little bit of help in their weakened state.

Upon entering Roy's office, Spots asked Roy and Riza to lay her down on the floor. They did so; gently laying her on her back while Sandy shut the door behind them. Riza grabbed a first aid kit, sitting next to Spots as she opened it. She started dressing Spots' wounds while Spots told them everything she had relayed to Olivier. They listened in silence, taking in all that she said.

When she finished, Roy said, "That explains your origins, Spots, but that's not what we needed you to explain. Why did your eyes turn purple and why did the sand turn black in your hands while we were dealing with the Nightmare?"

Spots winced as she sat up after Riza had finished wrapping her stomach. Sandy gave her a concerned look. She waved her hand to show she was fine.

"I am the Guardian of Imagination, which is amazing; however, it comes with a great burden. You see, a child's imagination can create amazing stories and games, but it also is responsible for some of their greatest fears." She closed her eyes and continued in a shaky voice, "The Man in the Moon unlocked an incredibly dark force when he made me a Guardian. Her name is Nightshade."

"Hold on," Roy interrupted. "Her _name_? You mean this force is a person?"

"In a way," Spots replied. "She lives within me, only able to come out either when I allow her out, which has never occurred, or when the Guardians are no longer believed in by the children of our world. Other than that, she is only a voice in my head; however, that does not keep her from attempting to gain control. Anytime I use a fear-related power, no matter where I am or how much belief in the Guardians there is, she is awaken." Pausing, she pulled the bottle from her pouch and poured the last two capsules into her palm. "These are the only things that can force her back into a dormant state."

Riza picked one of them up and held it to the light, closely examining the golden pill. "What's in it?"

"Dream sand. I used to sprinkle it on my head, but it also put me to sleep for a few hours, which left me vulnerable."

Two images flashed above Sandy's head, a picture of two pills and a question mark.

"Yeah, these are my last two. Think you could whip up another batch when we get home?" she asked.

A thoughtful look resided on his face for a moment before he nodded confidently.

"So," Roy said. "When you grabbed that lead for the Nightmare and it turned black, that was Nightshade trying to take control?"

"No. That was me tapping into the darker powers I have some control over. You did get a glimpse of her, though, after the Nightmare bucked me off."

"The purple eyes?" Riza inquired.

"Yes. Usually when I'm here, in Amestris, she's completely dormant, but I think I woke her up when I tracked the Nightmare. You see, it takes darkness to find darkness. Accessing those powers roused her from her… hibernation, I suppose would be the best word for it."

"Do the other Guardians know about her?" Riza inquired.

"…Not about her, per se. They know that I have powers similar to Pitch's and that the more fear children have, the less I can use any powers unrelated to fear. In fact, Nightshade nearly took control a few years back after Pitch nearly destroyed the Guardians."

"So what would happen if she took control?" asked Roy.

Sandy and Spots shared an apprehensive look before she answered, "She would make Pitch look like Sandy. Her goal is completely unbridled fear, not only in children, but also in everyone in every world. She doesn't care about whether people believe in her. Everything about her and her powers is darkness, fear, and chaos."

Her words hung in the air as a heavy silence followed. Roy and Riza exchanged fearful looks before looking at Spots again. She noticed the extreme uneasiness in their eyes that they were desperately trying to hide.

"Don't worry. She's not the only force in me and I'm not alone in fighting her. A much… brighter force is also within me. Her name is Starlight. She is completely opposite of Nightshade in power and in personality. They act as a counter to each other, but Starlight never tries to take control unless she feels I am in danger that I can't handle, which is a rare occasion."

Roy gave a disbelieving snort. Sandy snickered silently.

"Hey! None of you are fully aware of my capabilities, granted, Sandy knows the most."

"What are some of the things you can do?" Riza questioned. "So far, we've only gotten glimpses of your abilities."

Spottedpool gave a wide grin and held out her hand, palm facing up. A small flame ignited in the center, which took only seconds to transform into a small bird that grew larger before their eyes. It golden orange feathers gleamed in the light as it spread its wings and flew around the room before transforming into a beautiful lily, which fell gracefully to the floor. Spots gently picked it up and placed it on Roy's desk.

"The simplest way to explain my powers is that they are fueled by the imagination of children. Anything most adults call fantasy qualifies, even if thought of by another adult. I have gained many different powers from books and movies that kids enjoy."

"Then why not just use them to get Al's body back?" Roy asked.

Her smile faded. "I can't. His body was taken as punishment for the transmutation. Even my powers can't retrieve it." She fell silent for a moment before changing the subject. "But we have wasted enough time discussing my powers. According to Pitch, there is a major threat that we must concern ourselves with."

"What do you mean?" Roy asked.

"Pitch pinned me down while we were fighting and told me the reason he had purposefully kidnapped Al and Ed because he knew I would go to get them. He told me that there was a much larger threat here in Amestris, saying he could sense a great darkness underneath the earth."

"What makes you think he's telling the truth?" he demanded.

A dark look passed across her face as she replied, "He's never lied to me before."

Sandy winced at the comment. Spots ignored it and continued, "I can also vouch for some of it. There is something very unusual about this country, something I've never quite been able to put my finger on. Maybe it has something to do with Pitch's warning."

"Well, until I have more to go on, we'll just have to keep our eyes peeled for this threat," Roy sighed. Spots began to leave. "However, you are not free to go just yet Spots."

She froze, and then faced Roy again. "Why not?"

"Because there's still one thing you haven't told us."

"Oh? And what might that be?"

"Why do you really believe what Pitch said?"

With an exasperated sigh, she said, "I told you, he's-."

"-Never lied to you before. Yes, I get that. But I also know you are not so naïve that you wouldn't still be suspicious of someone you consider an enemy." His eyes took on a knowing light. "Or do you?"

"Do I what?" she challenged.

"Consider Pitch Black your enemy."

He watched her face turn a vivid red as she stammered for a response.

"Oh, don't bother," he chuckled. "I know what someone in love looks like."

Spots bowed her head in defeat. "Alright, I admit it. I am in love Pitch Black." Looking Roy directly in the eye, she said, "I've been hiding that secret for over a hundred years. How the hell did you figure it out in the course of two days?"

"I saw the little spark in your eyes and the way you held your breath whenever his name was mentioned. And the way you broke your scowl after he made a joke before you fought him. The big giveaway for me, though, was when you ordered us not to fight with you."

"How so?"

"When it comes to Ed and Al, anyone that hurts them is in immediate danger to your wrath. You also invite anyone and everyone to help dole out the punishment. So when you told us to stand down _and_ let him leave standing on his own two feet, I couldn't help but wonder why. So I put two and two together."

"Don't take all the credit, Colonel," Riza said.

"Okay, so Lieutenant Hawkeye may have helped-."

"Helped?" both girls asked.

"Alright, she pointed out a lot of the things I mentioned to me after she noticed them. That doesn't mean I don't recognize that look in your eyes, Spots," he told her after she and Riza exchanged a sly glance. "Watching you interact with him… it was easy to sense a little extra emotion underneath your anger."

Spots got a panicked look in her eyes. Turning to Sandy, she asked, "Do you think the other Guardians picked up on it?"

Sandy took her hand and gently patted it while shaking his head. Roy also reassured her, "No. It took two people that survived a war with you to figure it out. We know your expressions well enough to understand what others can only guess. Not to mention, everyone else was really concerned about Ed and Jack."

She sighed with relief. With a shaky voice, she told them, "Sandy is the only Guardian that knows how I feel about Pitch. The others… they wouldn't understand. And Jack…" She blinked away tears that were forming in her eyes. "If we hadn't become Guardians, maybe we would have become closer, but after he lost his memory of his past life, something changed. I still care about him, just not in the way I used to."

By now, the tears were slowly streaming down her face.

"Pitch is not as horrible as they make him seem. All he wants is to be believed in." A smile came across her face. "We've helped each other through the years. It's a rare occurrence, but it always turns out well. He even saved my life along with the life of a young boy once."

"That's not a reason to fall in love with someone," Roy pointed out.

"No," Spots agreed. "That was when I finally stopped lying to myself about it, though. Sandy had seen how I felt well before that day, but I refused to admit it. But, seeing him help that child…" There was a light in her eyes. "My eyes finally saw the person that my heart had been talking about all along."

There was a loud thump on the window, which caused everyone to jump. They all watched as what was left of the snowball slid down the window. Riza and Sandy peered outside, a smile appearing on each of their faces.

"It looks like the boys are going to be fine, Spots," Riza told her. "Jack and Ed have just started a snowball fight and the snow is almost a foot deep."

Roy shook his head while Spots laughed and asked, "What are the teams?"

Sandy formed several images above him.

"Free-for-all?" she interpreted. "You guys should probably head out there to keep an eye on things."

"What about you?" Riza asked.

"I'll join the fun in a moment. I need to compose myself before going out and facing everybody."

"I'll keep you company for a bit," Roy volunteered.

"Only because you're useless when wet," Spots semi-whispered.

"What was that, Spots?"

"Nothing."

Sandy and Riza silently snickered behind him, and then left the office.

As the door shut behind them, Roy turned to look at Spots. "So you really do love him?"

The glow returned to her eyes as she replied, "Yes, more than I ever believed my heart was capable of loving anything."

"Then why did you fight him today?"

She looked at the window, where they could see snowballs flying through the sky. "Just because I love him doesn't mean I condone his actions. I care very much about those three boys and I don't want to see anything bad happen to them." Her voice took on a sadder tone as she continued, "Besides, I couldn't risk any of the Guardians, or worse, Pitch, finding out how I feel. It's my greatest fear that he'll find out and try to use my feelings to manipulate me."

"Can't Pitch read people's greatest fears?"

When Spots gave him an incredulous look, he explained, "Toothiana told me about some of his powers while you were getting Sandy and North."

"Ah. Yes, Pitch can read fears. However, I've buried mine under so many other fears and put up so many walls that it makes it impossible for him to figure it out. I know because he got really frustrated one time when we were fighting," she chuckled.

"Do you ever plan on telling him?"

Her smile faded as she thought about that. "I don't know."

"You should. Who knows, maybe he shares your feelings."

Spots shook her head. "Don't say that, Roy. I don't want to get my hopes up on that. I can't." Tears formed in her eyes again. "And even if he does, I don't think we could actually have a relationship."

Handing her a tissue, Roy looked outside to where Riza was nailing everybody with snowballs. "I know exactly what you mean."

As she wiped her eyes, Spots smiled and said, "I've noticed."

Roy chuckled and asked, "Why is it that we can tell when someone likes another person until it involves us?"

"I don't know." She stood up and tossed the tissue in the trash. "How about I make a deal with you?"

He also stood up. "What would that be?"

"I'll tell Pitch how I feel when you tell Riza how you feel."

"That might never happen."

"Exactly," she laughed.

"How about we just go outside so you can join the snowball fight, smartass?"

"Okay."

Roy stood next to Sandy, who was overseeing the fight, while Spots instantly launched herself into the fight with an enormous smile, laughing and screaming as everyone retaliated.

"Not participating in the fight, then?"

Sandy shook his head, several images popping up above his head, ending in a question mark. Roy, who was beginning to understand the symbols, answered, "Not right now. I'll join in a bit." He leaned against the doorway. "So you're the only one that knows she loves Pitch?"

Nodding, Sandy ran two fingers across his lips then flicked them to one side, zipping his lips and throwing away the key.

"Understandable," Roy replied as he watched Jack sneak up behind Spots and dump snow down the back of her neck. "They must have enough problems trusting her, what with Nightshade's powers, without adding her feelings for Pitch into the equation."

Sandy nodded again. Then he motioned to Roy, placing his finger on his lips with a question mark above his head.

It took him a moment, but Roy translated, "Yeah, I can keep a secret."

Three symbols appeared over Sandy: Spots, a heart, and then what must've been Pitch. The meaning was clear: Spots loves Pitch.

The pictures of Spots and Pitch vanished, reappearing in the opposite order. Roy stared at them before nodding in understanding.

"So Pitch loves Spots. And you haven't told her… why?"

Sandy looked to Spots was launching an attack on Jack, a gentle gleam in his eyes. A single image formed over his head: a broken heart.

"Oh."

They stood in silence for the next few minutes. It was broken when a snowball planted itself on Roy's face. He wiped away the excess snow, instantly glaring at Spots and Riza, who were cackling with delight as they high-fived.

"Come on, sourface," Spots called. "Get out here and have some fun." A challenging look came across her face. "Unless you're too scared of getting your ass served to you on a platter?" she taunted.

There were several oohs as Roy stared off with Spots. Eye contact was only broken when Roy stooped down and gathered up some snow and began packing it into a ball. Taking careful aim, he then whipped it at Spots, catching her right in the chest.

"Oh! Oho! It's on now, Mustang!"

Laughing, everyone jumped back into the fight. Soon, the sky was filled with flying snowballs.


	19. Chapter 19

**Spottedpool14: Thank you guys for reading my story! I hope you enjoyed it =)**

Deep in the earth, underneath Amestris, a man sat in a throne-like chair in the very center of a large room. His head rested against his fist, his face covered in the shadow.

The sound of footsteps echoed from the stone as a woman in a strapless black dress approached the throne. She bowed her head before addressing the man in the throne. "It would seem Pitch Black is not the ally we first believed he could be. Not only did he lose when he fought against Spottedpool Evans, but he also warned her about us… as much as he could, at least." Her red eyes stayed locked on the ground as she ventured, "Perhaps it was a mistake to have Pride lead them here. They may prove to be a nuisance to your plans."

"Are you questioning my judgement, Lust?" he calmly questioned.

"Of course not, Father. I was simply expressing my concerns."

"Good. Do you have anything else to report?"

"Yes. I have found someone in Reole to give the forged Stone to. I was just about to head there with Gluttony to deliver it to him."

"Very well. You may leave, then."

With one last bow, Lust left the room.

The man sat there, thinking deeply in the dark. He picked up two game pieces that lay on a table next to the throne: one was black with white spots, the other the deepest ebony. Looking them over carefully, he said, "So Spottedpool Evans and Pitch Black, will you both serve my cause?" He stood them up on the table. "Or will I be forced to eliminate you?"


End file.
